Making a Family
by Artful Amanuensis
Summary: Kagome lost her fiance, mother, and brother all in one fatal accident. Feeling destined to be alone, she doesn't know how to cope when she's suddenly thrust together with another man, caught in a battle that is not her own.
1. One Family

**Chapter One:**

**One Family**

**o0o**

"Cho, no! Come back!" The rambunctious child ignored the call of her caretaker and fluttered her way out the door, twirling and dancing.

Kagome frantically scrambled to catch the child, but stopped and sighed relief as the girl was scooped up by the young man entering the door.

"Well, hello you! Looks like you were trying to make an escape." He grinned at the toddler he held to his right side and tickled her beneath her chin as she squealed and giggled. He laughed and set her down, tweaking one of her tiny pigtails before watching her scurry off to play with the other children in the room.

Kagome smiled at him, and started in his direction, calling over her shoulder, "Yukio! Someone's here to see you!"

The little boy glanced up sharply at his name, before jumping to his feet and looking to the doorway in hope. His eyes grew wide and he immediately abandoned his block tower to race for the tall young man waiting for him, white teeth straight and shining.

"MIROKU!" He yelled it repeatedly in joy until he reached his destination. Miroku laughed, kneeling down with his arms open. Yukio ran into him with the force of a small locomotive and Miroku fell backward with the impact.

He laughed loudly, lying flat on his back, with the small boy seated and bouncing happily on his stomach. "Yukio! Missed me, did you?" He let out a grunt at a particularly large bounce as the breath was knocked from him. He lifted the boy slightly, wheezing, and Kagome stood by laughing, an infant cradled on her hip.

Another young woman made her entrance from the back room. "What's all the yelling? Is anything …wrong…Oh, it's you."

"Sango!" Miroku let forth a dazzling smile from his spot on the floor.

She leaned against the frame of the doorway she was standing in and shook her head at him. She greeted him in a resigned voice. "Hello, Miroku."

He set the boy on his feet on the floor next to him, and bounced promptly to his feet. He leaned over the welcome desk that separated him and the young woman. He propped his elbows on the high desk counter, his chin resting on his fists and a dreamy look on his face. "Have you considered my offer, Sango dearest?"

She rolled her eyes and a faint blush rose to her cheeks. "The last time I agreed to go out with you, Miroku, it lasted all of five minutes before you hit on the waitress, and I splashed my glass of water in your face before leaving you in the restaurant. Needless to say, I'm a little leery of repeating the experience, and you should be too."

"Sango, I swear to you, it will never happen again. I didn't even realize I was flirting! That was just my natural charming personality! However, now that I know how offensive it is to you, I will try and keep my charm to a minimum, out of respect for your wishes."

She narrowed her eyes at him in a mixture of disgust and incredulity.

He caught the look and smiled gently. "I can see it will take you more time to reconsider. I'll let you think over it a bit longer."

He looked down with faint surprise at his leg, never realizing that during this verbal exchange the little boy had climbed onto his foot and sat there, clinging tightly to Miroku's right leg. "Ready to go, Yukio?"

The boy gave him a wide smile, showing him his own amazingly white teeth. "Yep! Can we have pizza when we get home? It's Friday!"

"You know, you're right! Pizza it is. And a movie, how about that?"

"Do I get to pick?"

Miroku chuckled. "You bet."

"Yay! Let's go!"

He made his way slowly to the door, the child still clinging to his leg, and he waved over his shoulder. "Bye Kagome, Sweet Sango! Give me a call this weekend, ok?"

Sango rolled her eyes and Kagome laughed and waved. "Sure thing, Miroku. Bye!"

She readjusted the baby girl in her arms, turning back to her coworker and friend. "Oh, Sango, just give him another chance! He's so sweet, and he is responsible, has a great job, a great personality, and obviously cares about you a lot!"

Sango groaned. "I know, I know…it's just…he's so…feely."

Kagome cocked an eyebrow.

"I mean…he is so open with his emotions, and I'm…not. And he can't keep his hands to himself, he's perverted, flirtatious, affectionate and warm and caring and kind and…" She trailed off with a sigh and a shake of her head, long dark brown ponytail swinging from side to side. "I don't know. I've never been in a serious relationship, and I'm afraid that if I start one with Miroku, it will be serious, and I don't know how to handle that."

"It's an adventure, Sango. A great adventure. I think you should give him a shot. Just think about it. The risk may be great, but the rewards could be better."

Sango nodded and looked at her friend sadly. "You know…if I'm to take your advice, you should too." Kagome winced, and she immediately regretted her comment. "I'm sorry, Kagome, it's just…you need to start moving on. You were meant to be a mother…meant to be in a family. Meant to have…this." She gestured to the surrounding children before looking past Kagome's shoulder and yelling, "No, Montaro, put him down!" She took off to the small cluster of children whose parents had yet to arrive to retrieve them.

Kagome smiled down at the quiet child in her arms, and squeezed her gently. "Why can't they all be as easy to care for as you, Kohana?" She nuzzled the infant affectionately, who smiled quietly and patiently back at her.

She turned back to see Sango being pulled down and over-run by the Triplets of Terror, Ichiro, Kenjiro, and Renzo. With a sigh she started her way over to assist. "We better go help, Kohana, or I'll lose the only employee I have left."

**o0o**

She checked the door handle to be sure it was properly locked, before turning and heading toward her car. Sango left an hour ago while Kagome stayed to finish up on some of the paperwork and bills.

Running a daycare was challenging, but it was Kagome's pride and joy. She started the business with her mother a few years ago when they couldn't find a sitter for her little brother. Her mother had to quit her job to watch him, and she and Kagome decided that the best thing to do was start a daycare of their own. It was an immediate success, and they always had a healthy list of children to watch.

She sighed and traced the painted words on the door. "One Family." She and her mother hadn't had the heart to turn any parents away who desperately needed someone to care for their children. It was ok, because they always had plenty of employees to take care of them. It was their own special family business, and each employee and staff member became a new member of their family, each child in their care a new little brother or sister, a new daughter or son. They were one big family.

When her mother and brother passed away a year before in a car accident the daycare was the only thing that held Kagome together. The family she had there helped her maintain her sanity. They picked her up and carried her through the difficult times as she learned to run the business herself.

Over the years, though, the others had moved on, making families of their own. She and Sango were the only ones left, and Kagome knew she could always count on Sango to be a sister and best friend.

It was difficult still because even she knew that Sango would move on…create a family one day. Kagome, however, felt she would always be alone. That was the way things were meant to be. That car crash had taken away everything from her, her family and her chance at a future.

The car that hit her mother and brother was being driven by her fiancé, Hojo. They all died on the scene of the accident, and Kagome was devastated, knowing that Fate was telling her something.. Freak accidents like that just didn't happen. What were the odds? Too slim to even consider. 'You were meant to be alone,' it seemed to tell her

After a year, though, Kagome knew that wasn't true. She figured that perhaps she was meant to be a sister or mother to the children she took care of. This feeling was the only thing that kept her going every day…knowing that those people needed her.

She shook her head sadly and headed toward her old, beat-up lemon of a car. Climbing in, she turned the key in the ignition.

Silence.

"No…no, no." She tried again. Still nothing. "No, please start! I need you to start!"

She must have spent the next ten minutes in the empty parking lot, pleading with her car to start, but finally slumped back in her seat in defeat.

Grumbling to herself, she climbed out, slammed the door, and started her walk home. "It's only 8 blocks. In the dark…" The sky rumbled above her. "And stormy."

She gathered her thin jacket around her and made her way across the lot to the sidewalk, her grubby white tennis shoes crunching over the gravel.

As she made her way through the darkened streets, she kept her eyes glued to the sidewalk in front of her, hunching her shoulders to the cold breeze that made its way through the tall buildings around her. Her little business was positioned in a convenient place just inside the city, so that parents could drop off their children on their way to work, and pick them up on their way out to the little suburbs and to their homes.

Kagome, however, lived in a tiny apartment further into the city, having to sell her house after her mother and brother died. She and Hojo had planned on living in the city when they were married so that he would be close to the large hospital he was working at. Now it was the only place she had left and it was small, but it was hers.

However, she was regretting her decision to live there at the moment considering the fact that to get to it, she had to walk through a few very poorly lit streets. But once she was past those, she would make it to the largest building in the city, Taisho Corp's headquarters of operation. The company was the largest one in Tokyo and it was surrounded by beautiful street lights and lit fountains.

No one was exactly sure what went on there, as no one was sure what all types of business Taisho Corp. was involved in. While it was one of the leading companies in software, Kagome, along with everyone else, suspected it of being involved in much more.

Their engineers and scientists were kept under strict watch, however, and all their research was kept confidential. Even the owner of the company was a mystery, as no one really knew what Sesshoumaru Taisho looked like except his closest working employees.

Kagome could see the large structure a few blocks away, and hurried toward its brightness and safety. She crossed a street and walked briskly past another alleyway when she heard a muffled shout. Turning her head, suddenly, she caught a glimpse of two figures struggling in the parking lot to her left. One looked as though he was about to get in his car when he was accosted by the other. Kagome caught the faint gleam of a weak street light reflecting off a strip of metal. 'A gun…' Her breath caught in her chest as she watched, wondering whether or not she should cry for help.

The figure with the gun finally gained control of the situation, and clapped the smaller one over the head with the weapon, sufficiently knocking him out. He hastened to grab the man's briefcase, and bent to open it on the hood of the car.

The man on the ground, however, wasn't quite as unconscious as the attacker must have thought, for he thrust his leg out suddenly, kicking the briefcase away. It flew through the air and landed with a thud directly at Kagome's feet.

A gunshot rang out simultaneously with the thud of the case's arrival on the ground in front of Kagome. She looked from it, to the attacker that was now approaching her and did the only thing she could do.

She grabbed the briefcase and ran.

**o0o**

_Children's names:_

_Cho: "Butterfly"_

_Yukio: "Gets What He Wants"_

_Montaro: "Big Boy"_

_Kohana: "Little Flower"_

_Ichiro: "First Son"_

_Kenjiro: "Second Son who sees with insight"_

_Renzo: "Third Link" or "Third Son"_

A/N:

HA! So, let's see how well I keep up three fics at once. Two on-goings, and one collection of oneshots.

I think I can do it. . I hope.

Anyhow, there's the first chapter! Please review, so I know whether or not it's worth continuing? Advice? Comments? Encouragement? Thank you!


	2. The Chase

**Chapter Two:**

**The Chase**

**o0o**

She wasn't exactly sure why she picked up the case before bolting. She did it out of pure reflex. The man with the gun wanted the case, obviously, so the logical thing to do would be to leave it so that he can have it, and be on her merry way.

However, the other man had been ruthlessly attacked and killed for whatever was in the case, and Kagome felt that if he could die to protect it, the least she could do was run with it and try and hide it from the killer.

She had a good start on him anyway and she had always been a fast runner. _'Thank god I don't work in an office. I could be in heels and a skirt right now.'_ But no, Kagome was casually decked in jeans and sneakers, and she was flying.

She whipped past dark alleys, her eyes on the lit building in the distance. It was like a lighthouse to her, a beacon of hope. _'If I can make it to the light, everything will be ok.'_

It was true, more than likely. The Taisho complex had guards and surveillance all around it. She was bound to run into someone, no matter how late it was. Kagome and Sango had stayed well after closing that day, cleaning up the mess from the children, and Kagome stayed even longer after Sango left. It was nearing eleven pm, and Kagome was nervous.

She heard the slamming of feet on the pavement behind her and picked up her pace. She swung around a corner and crouched into a doorway for a moment to catch her breath, hoping her pursuer would keep running by.

She clutched a stitch in her side and breathed as quietly as she could when she saw her mysterious follower pause at the corner, sixty feet away.

He was agitated, that much she could see. He bounced on the balls of his feet, clenching his hands nervously, the gun lodged in his back pocket. His dark hair close-cut, almost completely shaved off, and he was looking around furiously, trying to determine her direction.

Kagome held her breath, waiting for him to move on, when a scraping metal sound very close to her made her jump. The metal latch, already partially broken from the earlier break-in attempt, gave way and the case tipped open, documents and folders scattering across the sidewalk.

Kagome looked down in shock, and back to the attacker in fear. He had heard, and was rapidly approaching, smiling evilly at her. She could see his black brows narrowed in a nasty smirk, and a gold tooth glinted from his sneering mouth. He wasn't running now, just walking toward her with purpose. He had obviously seen what Kagome realized: She was trapped.

Kagome had fast reflexes from working with small children so long. It is harder than it seems, because kids have the uncanny ability to just vanish at one moment, and appear again in a completely different spot, right next to a large container of paint, or perching precariously on a tall shelf, ready to fling their small bodies forward to see if they could fly.

These well-honed reflexes came in handy, and she did the first thing she could think of. She threw the open briefcase with all the force she could master directly at his face and ran.

Or, she would have run if she hadn't slipped on the papers now scattered beneath her feet. She fell hard onto her back and groaned. Her attacker did as well, picking himself up and shaking his head as though trying to clear it. He rubbed a hand over his face and moaned again. There was still roughly twenty feet between them, and Kagome hurried to pick herself up and take off again when a glinting light made her stop. Something shiny peeked out at her from a soft, velvet bag.

Acting impulsively, she grabbed the bag, shoving the shiny object back inside it, and took off again, slipping it into her jean pocket as she went. She looked behind her to see the man scrabbling through the case's contents. When he apparently didn't find what he was after, he growled, threw the files that he held in his hands down with a yell and bolted after her again.

Kagome squealed in alarm and picked up her pace toward the large office building. He was gaining, and she knew it. She gave her last spurt of effort and flung herself into the well-lit area, weaving between lampposts, benches, fountains, and decorative trees planted in small patches of soil scattered throughout the concrete area. She could still hear the footsteps behind her, and they were louder. _'He's gaining.'_

With a cry of effort she threw herself at the heavy glass entrance doors, praying they weren't locked.

Eyes closed, she prepared for impact. She collided with a solid object, but it wasn't the cold glass that she had expected. She heard a grunt of pain, and fell over, rolling into the building only to land upon a solid form that was cursing angrily.

Kagome picked herself half way up to look into the golden eyes of a very irritated man. Not so much concerned with him, she turned her head to peer through the glass doors she had just barged through and saw that her attacker was gone. She was safe.

She breathed a sigh of relief and looked back to the man she was currently straddling. He glared at her and she gave him a weak smile. "Excuse me." And with her body sprawled over his, she promptly fainted.

**o0o**

"Well, shit."

Of all the times to have a woman leaping onto his body and landing breathlessly on top of him, this was not one of them. He shifted a little, trying to shake the young woman without actually touching her. This was ridiculous of course considering the fact that every other part of his body was touching her. Why not his hands too? He rolled his eyes at his own stupidity and reached to gingerly shake the girl by the shoulders.

"Hey." No response. He shook her again. "Hey you." He lifted her shoulders off his body, but her head remained flopped down, her long black hair hiding her features. He let her fall against his chest again with an exasperated sigh. "Damn."

He held the girl close to his body and rolled, setting her gently on the marble floor beneath him. Brushing her long hair away, he tried to get a glimpse of her face. Her eyes were closed, her face flushed and damp with the moisture of exertion. Her bangs fringed thickly over her forehead, and her small mouth was parted slightly, breathing in little wispy breaths.

Something stirred deep within him as he looked over her. _'Gotta admit…she ain't half bad.'_ His cell phone vibrated suddenly at his hip and he jumped. He reached for it and snarled into the mouthpiece. "What do you want?"

The voice at the other end was calm and collected as always. "I was just wondering why you were still in my building, lying on the floor with a woman."

The man eyed the lobby cameras with distate. "You know, it's really sick how you watch those monitors all the time. Don't you have a life?"

"This _is_ my life. My job and my business are my life. Now, I suggest you get a move on. He couldn't have gone too far. Track him."

"Yeah, yeah. This girl just came pummeling through the doors when I was on my way out. I think she was running from something, but she fainted before I could ask her about it."

Somewhere on the fourteenth floor, Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at the monitor he was watching. "Well, take her with you. Perhaps she saw him leave."

"She's still unconscious; I need to go find that scientist."

"So carry her. Go, now. Report back to me when you've found him." He flicked his phone shut, and watched his brother make a rude gesture at the camera before getting up, picking up the girl, and dashing out of the building, glass doors swinging.

He glanced to his outdoor camera monitors and narrowed his eyes as his brother's shape disappeared into darkness.

"Don't let me down, Inuyasha. We're all depending on you."

**o0o**

The first thing that Kagome noticed as she fuzzily came to semi-consciousness was that she was warm. The second was that she was moving. Well, not her exactly, but she was on something that was moving, or in something that was moving. _'Hmmm…'_ She searched her memory to find out where she had fallen asleep. _'I remember my car wouldn't start. So, warmth…movement…maybe I'm in Sango's car? No, she left way before I did. Did I call a cab?' _

She took a deep breath, sniffing the material next to her face. _'Mmmm, smells too good to be a cab.'_ Unwilling to open her eyes, she played back as far as she could remember. _'Ok, car wouldn't start so…I started to walk home. Walking home, walking home…um…'_ It came back to her very suddenly. She was being chased! She saw someone killed, she was stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid and grabbed the case that the bad guy was after and she ran with it.

Whatever she was riding on shifted and her eyes sprang wide in fear, taking in the moving buildings rushing past her. _'Those were arms…carrying me.'_ She looked upward and saw a young man scowling in concentration, the wind whipping through his long silver hair, his golden eyes peering anxiously around him.

She took in a deep startled gasp that he must have heard, because he looked down at her sharply, his eyes wide in surprise.

She screamed with all she had in her.

"Ahhh! Shit, stop screaming!" He dropped her suddenly and put his hands not to his ears, but the top of his head.

When her bottom hit the ground, she stopped screaming abruptly, the wind knocked from her with the impact. When she recovered, she scooted over the ground, trying to get her shaky legs beneath her to stand.

Inuyasha eyed her with annoyance and reached forward.

"Don't you touch me!" she screamed, and scrambled back further.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm trying to help you up."

She looked from his outstretched hand to his face. "Why should I trust you?"

He heaved an aggravated sigh and let his hand drop. "Fine by me, stay down there."

She took in his appearance. He was tall, but not freakishly tall. He was well-built, with strong shoulders, lean hips, and nicely shaped features. He wore jeans and a red shirt beneath a thin black leather jacket that reached to his hips.

He watched her check him out and shifted his stance, trying to force down his blush. Kagome caught the movement and blushed herself, realizing she had just been caught gazing at him in open appreciation. This definitely wasn't the guy who was chasing her. She searched around her frantically, but saw no sign of him.

"What are you looking for?"

She jumped and looked back up at him. "Someone…someone was chasing me." She swallowed nervously. "He…he killed someone."

"Yeah, he did. Did you see which way he went?"

She looked up at him in confusion.

He rolled his eyes yet again. "I saw the body, now I need to know where the killer went. Did you see him?"

"He…he disappeared after I ran into the Taisho building."

"Damn."

He looked angry now, and he ran a hand through his bangs in frustration.

"Why do you need him? Are you a cop?"

He eyed her. "No, he took something."

"The briefcase?"

He jumped on this. "The briefcase? You saw it? Did he take it?"

Kagome shifted on the ground in discomfort. "Actually, no…I did."

"What?" He rounded on her, kneeling before her and shaking her shoulders slightly. "Where is it? Where is the briefcase?"

"I…I don't know. I hit him with it when he gained on me."

"Awwww, shit." He stood up again and anxiously walked a few feet away, his back turned from her.

"H-he just…k-killed that man. And he was…he was chasing me, and he w-would have killed m-me too…" She was losing it, and tears started to quickly leak down her cheeks as her chin wobbled. "I-I couldn't have been k-killed."

Inuyasha looked over at her in alarm. "Woah, what? Don't start crying. Stop it…stop crying." He looked anxious and worried. He had never been good at dealing with tears. "You're not dead! He didn't catch you, stop crying!"

Kagome took in a deep catching breath and sobbed some more. "I'm s-sorry, I can't h-help it!"

He kneeled next to her again and pulled her to his shoulder, awkwardly patting her back. "Don't cry. Please don't cry."

Kagome nearly did stop crying in shock. This man that she didn't even know was holding her next to his chest, doing his best to comfort her in the middle of a darkened street in downtown Tokyo. She took advantage of the situation, though, and burrowed her face into his soft shirt, the smell of his leather jacket giving her comfort. This man obviously was not out to hurt her, at least at the moment. She sniffled and hiccupped and eventually gained some control.

He leaned away from her then and looked at her face, relieved that she had once again gained control of her waterworks.

"Thank you. I needed that. I'm sorry."

He blushed again and shot to his feet in obvious embarrassment. "Feh, whatever."

She gave a watery half-grin at his flustered appearance before shaking her head and attempting to stand.

A hand on her elbow steadied her, and she looked up into the man's face as he helped her to her feet. When she was safely standing, he tore his hand away as though burned and flushed yet again.

"I…I should be getting home." She shivered slightly in her light jacket. "I'm sorry about your friend, and about the briefcase."

She turned toward the direction of her apartment but stopped abruptly when something warm and heavy fell over her shoulders. She turned back to him in question, and he shrugged and looked away, his cheeks pink. "Don't need it at the moment."

She fingered the soft, smooth leather and slipped her arms into the sleeves. "Thank you Mr…?"

"Inuyasha."

"Mr. Inuyasha?"

"No, just…Inuyasha."

She shuffled her feet. "Oh. Then, thank you…Inuyasha."

He groaned and rolled his head around, stretching his strained neck muscles. "Come on…let's get you home."

"Oh, I can walk there."

He scoffed. "Yeah, and you were probably doing just that when you were running for your life, weren't you?"

She bit her lip. "My car wouldn't start."

He nodded tiredly. "Come on. I'll walk you."

Chin tucked down in shy pleasure, she scurried to catch up with him and his long strides. She told him where she lived, and he nodded in familiarity. "I live in the complex across the street."

How come she had never seen him before? Maybe because she was never looking?

They reached the Taisho building once again and Inuyasha glared at the cameras, knowing his brother was watching. His cell phone vibrated again, and he answered it with a sigh. "Yeah?"

"She's awake, I see. Did you find the scientist?"

"Yeah. He's dead."

Kagome looked over at him, hearing only his half of the conversation. He caught her eye briefly before looking forward. "She saw him killed."

"Did she see what happened to the case?"

"Yeah, she said she ran with it, but hit him with it when he caught up with her. She doesn't have it now."

Kagome bit her lip. "Um…Inuyasha?"

He raised an eyebrow in question. "The case…the man left it on the ground."

"What! Where? Why didn't you tell me before?"

She scowled slightly. "Well, I didn't exactly remember everything that had happened right at the moment. It just sorta…came back to me. It's still in front of that little sushi place…the one a block from the Taisho building." She frowned at the ground in concentration. "Whatever he was looking for in the case…he didn't find it. He left it and chased after me instead."

"He didn't find it?"

The phone he held talked again and Inuyasha jumped, having forgotten he was still on it. "Didn't find it? What does she mean he didn't find it?"

"What do you mean, didn't find it?"

Kagome shrugged. "Well, he looked through it all, tossing some papers around and then he stopped, looked up at me, and ran toward me. So I…ran away. And then I ran into you. Literally." She winced.

"He didn't find it in the case."

He could hear Sesshoumaru sigh in impatience. "Shit."

"Yes, shit. If he didn't find it in the briefcase, where could it be?"

"Perhaps he handed it off to someone already."

Inuyasha scowled. "I don't know. Maybe. But he wasn't out there very long. I found his body next to his car."

"The girl doesn't remember anything else?"

He spoke to Kagome this time. "Is that it? Do you remember anything else?"

She thought back. It was still very fuzzy, but she could remember nothing else...just throwing the case into the killer's face and then running like mad. She shook her head. "No, nothing. It's all so fuzzy." She looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry I can't help more."

"She's got nothing," he said into the phone.

"Take her home and then get back here. I'll send some people out to find the briefcase, and to check the body."

Inuyasha flipped the phone closed and attached it back to his belt. They were almost to the apartment complex now. He pulled out a pen and turned to her upon reaching the entrance to the complex lobby. He held it out to her, the palm of his other hand out toward her as well.

"Your number."

"huh?" Kagome stared at the hands in confusion.

He sighed in impatience. "I need your phone number. I don't have any paper, so just write it on my hand. I need to know how to contact you. The police are going to want to question you, and so is Sesshoumaru and his security. They're going to want to know who the attacker was, what he looked like, anything you can tell us. So…number."

She took the pen and held his other hand in her own, writing her phone number down on his warm, dry palm.

Inuyasha tried to ignore how soft and small her hands were as she wrote the number carefully down. She stopped and looked up at him. "This top one is my home number." She wrote again before looking up. "And the bottom one is my work number." She wrote again. "I don't have a cell, so that will have to do, but here is my apartment address, and the address of where I work, so you can find me. I live in 309 A. It's all right there."

He stared at her momentarily. "Um…I didn't catch your name."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I forgot." She smiled warmly at him. "Kagome. Kagome Higurashi."

He looked at her small handwriting on his hand and nodded before taking his pen back. "Goodnight, then. Expect a call, Mrs. Higurashi."

"Oh, it's just Miss. And…you can call me Kagome."

"Right. Goodnight…Kagome."

She nodded and turned for the entrance. She looked back over her shoulder at him as she opened the glass door. "Thank you…for helping me."

He blushed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Feh…whatever."

She smiled at his gruff, yet obviously pleased, manner and slipped through the doorway. A short elevator ride later found her in front of her apartment.

"Ah, home sweet home. Finally." She reached into her pocket to pull out her key, but something velvety and round froze her in mid-motion. Another memory shot through her and she saw herself picking up the shiny object that had fallen from the briefcase.

She pulled it quickly out of her pocket, and opened the soft velvet bag with shaking fingers.

A round, glowing object rolled into her hands.

"Oh, shit."

**o0o**

A/N: Weee, second chapter. Dang, that was long. Well, long for me. But, considering the fact that I wrote it in one day, not too shabby.

Please review? I would like to know what you think so far, because I don't want to waste my time on a crappy fic, if I can work on my other ones. (I still plan to work on the others anyway, but…yeah.)


	3. Surviving Saturday

**Chapter Three:**

**Surviving Saturday**

**o0o**

Kagome groggily reached out a hand and slammed it onto her alarm.

The noise continued.

"Argh!" She hit it again.

More shrill ringing.

She groped around, her face in her pillow, grabbed the alarm, yanked it from the wall and threw it across the room. It hit the wall and clattered to the ground, and yet still the ringing continued. Her disheveled head shot upward from the pillow and her eyes glared in sleepy frustration at the apparatus.

"ALARM FROM HELL! What do you want from me? My soul? You got it. But for the love of all things good and green on this earth, stop ringing!"

The ringing stopped. She let out a long, relieved sigh and let her tousled head fall back into the warm comfort of her bed and pillow.

_Riiiiiiing._

She shot out of her bed and grabbed the closest thing to her, which was her portable phone on her nightstand, and held it threateningly, ready to chuck it at the defenseless alarm clock laying harmlessly on the ground.

_Riiiiiiing._

She looked to the phone in her hand, and back to the alarm, before slowly turning her narrowed and confused gaze back to the phone.

"Oh."

She sat down on the edge of the bed and pressed the 'Talk' button. "Higurashi residence…"

"What the hell took so long?"

Not quite fully awake, the young woman pulled the phone away and stared at it in confusion before putting it back against her ear. "Um…who is this?"

"Inuyasha. I'm outside your apartment. Come on, time to go."

She shook her head in confusion and then, realizing he couldn't see her, swallowed and answered, her voice still scratchy from sleep. "Inuyasha? Wait, who are you, and why are you calling me on a Saturday at…" She glanced at where her clock used to sit before realizing it was now in a heap of tiny electronic parts next to her wall, and looked to her wristwatch instead. "Eight in the morning! Argh! What kind of sadist are you?"

"Oi, shut up, and answer your door." She heard a loud pounding echo down her short hallway. "Come on, Sesshoumaru's expecting us. Not that I care about him, but the police are expecting us too. So move it. Open up." He pounded again.

Kagome heard a click, signaling the abrupt end of their brief conversation, and she replaced the phone in its cradle.

She yawned, pulled on her blue terry-cloth robe, and shuffled out of her bedroom and toward the front door.

She pulled it open, still trying to grasp exactly what was going on, and moved back quickly to avoid being run over by a very irritated looking man.

He stormed in and turned to look at her. Noticing her robe and disheveled appearance, his frustration seemed to grow. "What are you waiting for? Let's go?"

Something in Kagome's brain clicked, then, and the entire previous night came rushing back to her.

"Woah."

Kagome swayed slightly and Inuyasha moved toward her jerkily before stopping himself. "You look like you're gonna hurl. Are you ok?"

She leaned against the closed door behind her and held a hand to her head, her eyes closed against the images flying through her memory. Walking in the dark, a man being shot, running…lots of running, being chased, throwing a briefcase, running again, being helped by…a silver haired man.

"Oh." She looked up at him suddenly. "It's you."

He narrowed his eyes and gave her a dry look.

She shook her head to clear it. "I mean…I came back and fell asleep and…ugh, I can't function without caffeine and…I couldn't remember who you were, but now I do, and you're here and…yeah, it's you."

He rolled his eyes. "Hurry up and get dressed. They want to question you, and somehow I got stuck playing delivery boy. So come on…I have to get you to the office."

Kagome nodded and shuffled back toward her room. "Just so long as we can get coffee on the way…otherwise anything I have to say will be completely worthless."

He grunted and turned to go sit and wait in her living room. "This I can see…."

**o0o**

Kagome sipped quietly at her steamy coffee mug, and let her hooded eyes drift warily about the room. It was fairly dark, thin misty strands of sunlight filtering in through the tinted glass and the half closed blinds. But it was just light enough to make out most of the figures seated around the long wooden table.

She sat at the very end of the conference table. On her right there was a woman with long black hair, brown eyes, wearing a crisp suit. She had introduced herself as Kikyo, the detective in charge of the case. Across from her, on Kagome's left, was her assistant, a rookie detective with rusty hair, pulled back in a low ponytail. While Kikyo wasn't mean, the young man, Shippou, was far friendlier and much warmer than his boss, and Kagome felt much more comfortable around him than the serious woman beside her. Next to Shippou and Kikyo sat a few of the Taiko employees: the Head of Security, Kouga, as well as a few of their lead scientists. At the opposite end of the table was an empty leather chair, and the entire room seemed to be waiting for whoever would fill it.

Inuyasha, who refused to sit down with the rest of them, paced restlessly behind her, stopping occasionally to stare out of one of the darkened windows at the city far below them.

Kagome stared at him for a moment, squinting at his hair. She stared at the top of his head for a moment in confusion, before shaking her head and taking another sip of her coffee.

While she could have sworn she saw something on the top of his head, she knew it must have been her imagination. There is no way she could have seen what she thought she saw.

She was startled from her thoughts when the door behind her opened. She felt almost as though she was being knocked over by the sheer force of energy that had suddenly entered the room. She clutched a hand to her heart and braced herself against the overwhelming feeling of power.

At her sudden movement, the footsteps stopped directly behind her, and all the heads at the table turned in her direction.

When she had finally collected herself, she opened her eyes to find everyone staring at her in speculation. She turned to see Inuyasha leaning against the glass window panes, staring at her and nodding his head slowly.

"I knew it."

She crinkled her brow in question, but he didn't say anything further, but raised his gaze from her face to a point some few feet above her.

A very calm and cool voice spoke softly from above her head. "She feels it?"

Kagome turned slowly to stare at the man behind her. He too had long silvery hair, thought it was longer and smoother and straighter than Inuyasha's. He had the same golden colored eyes, though his were narrower, and older. He wasn't staring at her, however, but at Inuyasha.

She turned to look again at Inuyasha and he flicked a brow upward. "Ain't it obvious? I knew there was something not right about her. Don't tell me you can't feel it."

She heard a soft rustling behind her and turned just as Sesshoumaru moved to her left side. He was looking at her now. "Miss Higurashi?"

She gulped and nodded. "Yes, sir."

He held out a hand to her and she took it. "I am Sesshoumaru Taisho. I believe we have some important matters to discuss."

She nodded mutely, her hand still in his.

He stared at her in silence for a few moments before finally opening his mouth again to speak. "Tell me what you felt when I walked in the room."

She bit her lip and tried to pull her hand away, but his grip tightened and she stilled. "Um…like I was being…overwhelmed. With some very strong…presence." She shook her head in confusion and looked at her lap. "I don't know…I've never felt that before."

He turned over her hand so that her palm was facing upward. He held it there for a moment, staring at it. Without looking up to her face he asked, "Miss Higurashi do you notice anything about the people in this room?"

She looked around the room in confusion. "I…I don't understand."

"Just look at each person very closely and tell me if you notice something…unique about them."

She let her eyes drift over the faces around her before letting them rest on Inuyasha. She let her nervousness and confusion show in her eyes, and he had pity on her. He shoved himself away from the window and made his way toward her, kneeling down beside her chair. He took her hand from Sesshoumaru and held it in his own.

"Kagome, look at me. Do you see something…different about me?"

She took in his features and shook her head desperately. "I don't understand."

He lifted her hand to the top of his head. "Look again." He moved her hand away, but not before she felt something warm and soft twitch beneath it.

"Oh…oh my." She shook her head in fascination at the man before her. She pulled her hand from his grip and reached it out to touch one of the triangular appendages perched atop his silvery head.

"You…you have cute little puppy ears!" She rubbed it gently between her fingers before he twitched it away, scowling at her.

"Yeah, yeah. Now, what else do you see."

She looked at him again, and looked to his hand that gripped the corner of the table where he was kneeling.

"Claws. You have claws."

She looked around the room now, noticing things she hadn't seen before. Shippou had pointed ears, though they weren't like Inuyasha's. They were on the side of his head. So were Kouga's, and so where the scientists'. Shippou was grinning wildly at her, and his pointy white fangs showed just past his lower lip.

She looked over to Kikyo, only to find her staring at her in silent, dubious appraisal. She lifted her eyebrows at Kagome. "Don't look at me. I'm human."

She heard someone clear his throat behind her, and turned back to look up at Sesshoumaru again, only to gasp. He was perhaps the most changed. Deep magenta stripes graced his high cheekbones, and a violet crescent moon showed on his forehead. She looked to his hands to see his claws, and saw that matching magenta strips also showed from his wrists.

Kagome swallowed. "What does she mean…she's human? Does that mean you're not?"

He quirked a brow at her before moving smoothly to the other end of the table, taking a seat in the chair placed there.

"Miss Higurashi, I'm afraid you are now more caught up in this than I would like. But since you are, and since you seem to have certain…abilities…I believe that rather than killing you to keep you silent, we can have you work for us instead."

Kagome's eyes grew wide in panic and she looked about the room for help. "Killing me? What do you mean killing me? And what do you mean 'work for you?' I can't! I have my own business! My own life!"

She made to stand up. "Listen, I didn't do or see anything. As far as I'm concerned you're all as normal and normal can be, and I'm still in bed dreaming. Yes, that's right. Let's just say we've never even met, and I can just get out of your hair." By the time she was done with her stuttering session of hysteria, she was out of her seat and out of the door.

Sesshoumaru raised a brow at Inuyasha, who sighed in exasperation and followed the rambling woman out the door.

He caught her frantically jabbing at the elevator button and leaned up against the wall beside her. "And just where do you think you're going?"

"Home."

"No you're not."

"Oh yes, I am. I want out of here. You people are crazy if you think I'm going to come work for you. What, did you all go out and get cosmetic surgery together? Because that's sick! What are you, a cult? I don't want to be a part of it!"

She turned back to the lit "Down" button on the wall and continued to jab at it.

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "You know, poking that thing ain't gonna make it come faster. And when it gets here, and you get downstairs, you really think they're going to let you leave?"

She looked over to him in fear. "What are they going to do to me?"

"They? What, you're not worried about me?"

She looked confused for a minute. "Well…no, I guess I'm not."

"Why?"

"Because…because…" She looked him in the eye for a moment before answering very calmly and seriously. "Because I trust you. Don't ask me why, or how, but I do."

He nodded slowly. "Well, then, you're going to need to trust me enough to go back in that room." He gestured his head back toward the conference room she had just escaped from.

She followed his motion and looked at the closed door. She could almost feel the power seeping out of it. She could feel it on Inuyasha too. She looked back at him. "You won't let them kill me? You'll protect me?"

He smirked at her for a minute. "They're not going to kill you. Don't worry about it. I won't let 'em hurt ya."

The elevator pinged behind her and they both turned to watch as it opened.

Inuyasha looked back at her. "So… what'll it be?"

She swallowed once, gathered up her courage and turned back toward him. She nodded fiercely. "Ok. Let's go."

With that, she followed him back into the darkened room, leaving the elevator to close behind her and begin its descent downward without her.

**o0o**

Kagome shook her head at the woman beside her. "No, I got a decent look at him, but I didn't recognize him."

Kikyo nodded, jotting quick notes in her notebook. "Can you give a description then? To the best of your ability?"

Kagome thought back, her eyes closed in concentration. "He had short hair. It was dark, but I don't know if it was black, or just dark brown. And…" Something bright flickered at her from her memory. "Oh! He had a gold tooth. This one." She pointed to her front right incisor.

Kikyo nodded again, asked for a few more descriptions, and looked over to Sesshoumaru after Kagome had exhausted her memory of the killer. "Your turn, I suppose."

Sesshoumaru gazed steadily at Kagome for a few minutes while she squirmed in discomfort.

She breathed a sigh of relief when he finally opened his mouth to speak. "Do you know what we do here?"

She shook her head. "No."

"We are a research facility. Research and development."

He tapped his claws on the tabletop before speaking again. "We, as you probably know by now, are not human. Well, rather…some of us are, but most are not. Most of us are youkai. What you felt when I came into the room…most humans cannot feel that. You felt my youki…my power. Each of us in the room have it, save for Kikyo, but they were probably already here when you arrived, am I correct?"

Kagome nodded shakily. "Yes…they were all seated here when I arrived."

"And…did you feel uncomfortable when you walked into the room?"

She gave him a half grin. "Well, yes, but I don't think there needed to be a room full of youkai to make me feel uncomfortable."

He remained stone-faced, though she could have sworn she saw a small twitch at the very end of his lip. Shippou, however, chuckled outright, and Kouga smiled at her.

"Well, you are obviously not used to the powers that you have. You obviously can't control them…I can feel them sparking off you at random."

He looked to Kikyou, who nodded. "Yes, she is untrained, but that is typical. She probably had no way of knowing. Most don't, these days."

Sesshoumaru nodded and looked back at Kagome. "You, Miss Higurashi, have miko abilities. You can feel the presence of youki, and you have the power to fight it, and to purify youkai…though you are not trained to do so."

She shook her head blankly and saw Kouga chuckle. He turned toward Sesshoumaru. "I think you better just stick to the basics right now…she's looking confused."

"Indeed," he replied dryly. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "Miss Higurashi, did you perhaps see whether or not the scientist handed off anything to someone else before he was killed? Was anyone else around?"

She shook her head and bit her lip. "No, but…what the killer was after…what the scientist took…I, um…I think I found it."

She had slipped it into her pocket that morning before leaving with Inuyasha. She reached in and took it out, placing it on the table in front of her, the glowing orb inside the velvet bag thunking slightly against the table.

Sesshoumaru sat up in his seat. "You had it? This whole time?"

She cringed and hunched her shoulders up protectively. "I'm sorry! After I passed out I…I didn't remember everything right away. I didn't realize I had it until late last night after I had already gotten home."

She bit her lip again and looked around worriedly. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to keep it from you."

Sesshoumaru looked at her but said nothing. One of the scientists, an elderly gentleman with gray hair pulled back tight against the base of his skull, cleared his throat and spoke up for the first time. "My dear…did you touch it?"

Kagome nodded again, looking miserable. "I'm really sorry."

He shook off her apology. "Now, now, calm down. Just tell me what happened when you touched it."

She looked at the ceiling in thought. "Well…it just kinda…went all swirly and pink…pinkish white."

The room filled with murmuring then, as a few of the scientists leaned together.

"Take it out of the bag."

Kagome looked up sharply at Sesshoumaru before doing as he requested.

She lifted the black velvet bag with trembling fingers and let the orb roll out onto her palm. She stared at it for a moment before looking around the room.

The orb glowed innocently from her hand and one of the scientists smiled. "She's the one. Unbelievable."

Kikyo was scowling at her slightly, but remained silent.

Kagome turned to ask what exactly they meant by that comment when the orb in front of her suddenly pulsed, sending out large rays of blinding light.

Everyone at the table pushed back in the chairs and stood, alert and poised for action, while Kagome shielded her eyes with one hand. When she pulled it away, she turned to see that the orb was glowing intensely now, and no longer in her palm, but a few inches above it, hovering in the air.

"What…what did I do? I didn't do anything! Why is it doing that?"

"Just… hold still and shut up, would ya?"

She felt Inuyasha move to her side slightly. "It's not gonna hurt you. If anything, it'll hurt the rest of us, but not you. So just calm down, already."

Kagome nodded and had just begun to let her shoulders relax slightly when she felt an immense pain in her chest. She clutched at it with her free hand but the burning was intense and she felt her legs buckle beneath her.

She looked to her other hand only to find that the orb was no longer there, but the light hadn't faded from her vision. She felt blind, trapped in the glowing white light.

She felt as though she had been shot in the chest, and that the bullet was still lodged there, pulsing with heat and energy.

Her last thought before she hit the ground was, _'Inuyasha, you lying jerk, you're wrong. It hurts like hell.'_ And then it all went blank.

**o0o**

A/N:

I'm such a pansy. That's the longest chapter I've written, but it has nothing in length compared to many others that I've read. And yet I still thought, "Dang, I'm never writing one that long again!" Wuss.

Ah, but I wrote it all in one day. And I just couldn't stop till I'd gotten a few things explained, and a bit more of the storyline set into place. See? Now we know it's gotta be the Shikon jewel, and we got some more characters in there and… yeah, ok so the rest of the plot isn't set up yet. But it will all be more clear in the next chapter. I'm still explaining things. It'll be ok, I promise. Patience is a virtue.

And now I'm gonna post it.

Huzzah for updating.


	4. The Prophecy

**Chapter Four:**

**A Prophecy**

**o0o**

Somewhere in the swirling whiteness that was Kagome's subconscious, there came a low humming noise. It was the sort of noise one heard when near a source of energy, or power. It was the charge of a current of force, and it buzzed gently and softly in her ears.

Over the noise spoke a voice and Kagome felt a pang in her chest when she realized whose it was.

"Kagome, darling…."

She sat up in the empty mist and looked about. "Mama?"

She heard a soft chuckle in response, and the light laughter seemed to not come from one particular direction, nor from around her, but rather…inside of her. "Yes, dear. Come now…it's finally time. I knew all along that you were special, that you were meant for big things. The time has come for you to stand and take your place."

Kagome crinkled her brow in confusion and searched the whiteness for a trace of her mother's face. "I don't understand. What place? And…what big things?"

She was still sitting when she saw her mother's slight figure walking toward her through the white mist. The older woman smiled gently down at her and knelt beside her. She looked exactly the same as Kagome had always remembered her, and she felt her eyes begin to blur with tears.

Her mother smiled and cupped Kagome's cheek in one hand. Her voice had taken shape, now, and echoed from the woman's figure. "You were the kindest, sweetest daughter a mother could ask for. You still are. You're self-sacrificing, you're gentle, forgiving, gracious, dedicated, faithful, and the most loving person anyone will ever encounter. You, my daughter, my dear Kagome…were meant to share your ability with the world. They need you."

Kagome let a tear roll down her cheek and sniffled softly. "Mama…I still don't understand. What ability? What am I supposed to share?"

Her mother hugged her gently and Kagome breathed in her scent. It was the same as it had always been, a gentle mixture of the smells of baking, soap, and flowers. She took in as much of it as she could, nostalgia tugging at her hurting heart.

"Your ability to love, darling. You have the uncanny and rare ability to love fully, deeply, faithfully, and without question. You look beyond past mistakes, and you look beyond outward appearances. Your love, Kagome…your love will lead the way out of the dark."

She stood and started to walk away and Kagome cried after her. "Mama, no! Don't leave me! Don't leave me again! I still need you! I don't understand."

Her mother smiled at her over her shoulder. "You will, love. And now…it's time for your journey to start. I believe in you."

She turned fully to face her once more, a look of sadness on her face. "And Kagome…it's time to move on, darling. You can't be sad forever."

Kagome hurriedly wiped back a few more tears that had trickled down her cheeks and nodded. "I'll try…for you, mama."

"That's my strong girl. Now, get going, dear. It's time to wake up."

Her mother faded from sight and Kagome gave one last choked sob before darkness overcame her, and the blinding pain came tearing back through her body.

**o0o**

Inuyasha's ears perked at the soft moan that wrenched itself from the throat of the girl in his lap.

There had been a brief blinding light, and suddenly it was gone, and so was the jewel, but Kagome had gone rigid with terror, screaming about the bright light, crying in pain. The others in the room had looked around at each other in confusion, because she was obviously seeing some sort of vision that they were not to take part in.

And, quite suddenly, she went completely limp. Inuyasha was immediately at her side, catching her as she toppled limply downward.

She moaned again.

The scientists rushed over immediately, telling Inuyasha to move away so that they could examine her, but for some reason, something in him refused to allow it. He glared at them when they tried to take her from his arms, and they all backed away looking at him nervously.

Inuyasha shook his head to clear the sudden bout of possessiveness that had suddenly swept over him. _'What the hell? Knock it off! She's just a stupid girl!'_

The eldest cleared his throat. "Hmm…Inuyasha? Would it be ok if I check to make sure that she is alright? I won't need to move her; she can stay right where she is. I only need to check her vitals."

Inuyasha didn't respond and the old youkai stepped toward him slowly, and knelt next him. He was on the floor on his knees and he cradled the woman across his lap, her head in the crook of his left elbow. The scientist, after checking her pulse and breathing, turned to the others with an affirming nod.

"She's alright. She's only fainted."

Sesshoumaru, who stood calmly at the opposite end of the table in front of the chair he had leapt out of at the sudden burst of light, sent a sweeping glance over the room.

"Where is the jewel?"

Kouga began to search the room more methodically for the missing orb, as Kagome moaned again.

She tossed her head slightly, and it landed softly against the muscle of Inuyasha's bicep. He watched her worriedly as a tear leaked its way from under her closed eyelid.

He raised his right hand and let it hover over her face before slowly allowing it to lower. Her cheek was soft and smooth, and quite warm. He wiped the tear away a fraction of a second before her eyes fluttered open.

The most pleasant way to wake up is to open your eyes feeling refreshed, rested, and ready to take on a new day. Kagome woke up in a way that was a very close second. She was being held by a warm, strong body, and there was a large, gentle hand cupping her cheek. To top it all off, the body and hand belonged to a very attractive young man who was peering down at her worriedly with the most beautiful golden eyes she had ever seen.

While one might consider this the best way to wake, she unfortunately also had some cons to the scenario. She felt a deep throbbing pain in her chest, she felt groggy, confused, and her head hurt from the intense light she had been forced to endure.

"Meeerrrrggghh."

'_Ah, yes. Intelligent conversation can begin any moment,'_ she thought groggily.

"What happened?"

'_Yeah, that's better.' _She rubbed her head with the hand not pinned between her body and Inuyasha's chest.

She looked up at him and her surprise at his concerned expression must have shown in her eyes, for he quickly masked it with irritation and quickly pushed her to a sitting position. He folded his arms across his chest, sitting cross-legged on the floor next to her. A faint blush rose across his cheeks and he stubbornly refused to meet her eyes.

"Feh. Bout damn time you woke up. What the hell's the matter with you?"

She glared at him, still massaging her temples. "You jerk! You were the one going on about how that thing wouldn't hurt me, and how I didn't have to worry!"

He swung his gaze back at her then, anger in his eyes. "Well how was I supposed to know it would do that?" He yelled back. "What I meant was that it can't purify you! You're not a youkai!"

She rubbed at the sore spot in her chest, but the pain was slowly dying away. "Yeah, you tell that to that…that…glowing orb thingy."

He rolled his eyes and scoffed but didn't argue.

Someone cleared a throat directly above Kagome and she looked up slowly from her seated position on the ground. Directly above her head she saw that Sesshoumaru had moved and was now looking directly down at her with that bland, bored look of his.

"Miss Higurashi. Where has the jewel gone?"

Kagome shrugged up at him helplessly. "I…I don't know. It was there in my hand, and then it was floating above my hand and then…big white lights, and next thing I know I'm waking up on the floor and it's gone."

She grimaced, still rubbing the sore spot on her chest, just below her collarbone. "Though I feel like I've been shot with a bullet."

Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrows slightly at this, and the elderly scientists suddenly broke out in frantic mumbling amongst themselves. One of them turned toward the tall demon with an anxious expression on his face. "Sir, she must be the one…there's no other explanation for it."

Sesshoumaru stared at him a moment before nodding toward the table. "Sit."

Kikyo, who had been constantly staring at Kagome, moved toward her seat. Shippou put his hand beneath her elbow and helped her up with a shy smile. "You ok?"

Kagome nodded and returned the smile. "Actually…yes. The pain is almost gone now. It just feels like…" She trailed off for a moment, searching for the words to describe the sensation. "It…it feels as though there is something inside of me that wasn't there before. But, it's not really a bad feeling. I just feel more…full." She shook her head in confusion. "I'm not really sure that makes any sense."

Kouga cleared his throat from his seat. "Perhaps if you sit down, we can explain some things to you. What you're saying makes more sense than you think."

She took her seat, and looked automatically around her, to be sure that Inuyasha was still there. For some reason she felt safer when he was around. Perhaps it was because he had saved her before? Or because he was the one who talked her into going back into the stupid room in the first place. Yeah, that was probably it. All his fault.

He was leaning with his right shoulder against the large tinted windows, gazing down at the city with a masked expression on his face. His ears, though, were alert and turned in the direction of the large table.

Feeling assured of his presence, she turned back toward the occupants of the table. "So…someone want to tell me what is going on? What was that thing, why all the flashing light, and what happened to me?"

Sesshoumaru flicked his gaze at one of the scientists, a middle-aged youkai with dark brown hair that had just started to gray at the edges. He cleared his throat nervously after catching the glance, and turned to Kagome. "That jewel is what is known as the Shikon jewel. It possesses great power and is the only one of its kind."

He looked down at his folded hands lying on the table a moment before looking back up at her. "Really, Miss Higurashi, this is a rather long tale. I will try and keep it as brief as possible, but you must try and follow along. It is very important, and very confidential."

Kagome nodded her head slowly. "Ok…I'll try my best."

He nodded in return and took a deep breath to steady himself. "As you have been made aware, we are demons. We are not the only ones, however. There are youkai all over Japan. All over the world. They are hidden, as we have been. Disguised to blend in, to avoid panic, persecution, and death. It was not always this way, but as time went on, demons were hunted down like animals. Many could easily survive with superior strength. But many could not, and now only the strongest and smartest remain today. To avoid the constant conflict, we simply disguise ourselves. It is merely easier this way."

A voice spoke calmly and quietly from the end of the table. "The point, Miss Higurashi, is that while we have the power to conquer, we do not see the purpose in wasting time and energy in needlessly killing weak humans."

Sesshoumaru locked his gaze with hers and Kagome nodded. "I understand. You have pride."

He nodded his head once to her before looking back to the scientist, who cleared his throat and continued.

"So, we use charms to conceal ourselves. Every youkai has an energy that radiates from him or her. We simply use this energy to cover those physical differences that distinguish us from regular humans."

He shifted in his seat again, pausing for a moment in thought, before continuing. "And now…on to the jewel. No one is exactly sure how it came into existence, though we hold one theory to be closest to the truth. We believe that it was created when two great powers were locked into battle. When such huge energy is locked, and one cannot conquer and absorb the other, they become locked, forever. We believe that these two great powers sealed themselves, inadvertently, into one solid substance, and within that substance, the two energies wage war against one another still."

Kagome looked around to the other faces in the room only to see them all watching her, gauging her reaction. She swallowed hard. "So…so this jewel holds a lot of power…just trapped there, for eternity?"

The scientists nodded, and the eldest one spoke up again. "Miss Higurashi, we believe that the two powers represent that of hate, and love. Evil and good. Discord and understanding."

She nodded again, but remained pensive. "But I still don't understand what happened? Why did it suddenly go all crazy like that?"

"It would seem, Miss Higurashi, that you are the one mentioned in the prophecy." Sesshoumaru spoke to her quietly, locking his golden gaze on hers once again. "There was a prophecy made long ago about one who would come to take hold of the power."

He shifted his gaze to the center of the table top, seeming to recall from his memory the words and reciting them. "'The glowing one shall come, and bring those in hiding into the light once again, and will unite estranged brothers into one family.'"

He turned cool eyes back to hers once again. "We have copies of the original document, as well as the original itself locked away and preserved."

Kagome shook her head. "The glowing one?"

Kouga cleared his throat. "Miss Higurashi…don't tell me you've forgotten what happened a few moments ago. You lit up like a bulb! And besides that, you've got power and energy just radiating off of you." He looked around at the others who nodded in affirmative. "We all feel it."

It was obvious that she still wasn't comprehending how this power could have suddenly come about, and was ready to open her mouth and argue this point, when a harsher voice spoke up from behind her.

"Oh for the love of…argh, don't you get it? You absorbed it! The jewel! It's inside of you now. It's a part of you, you control it." Inuyasha looked exasperated, and remained leaning against the window staring moodily outward. "Just accept it. You're in deep now."

She opened her mouth to protest but Sesshoumaru cut her off quickly by standing. "This meeting is over for now. Miss Higurashi, until we can further determine what this all means you will be watched at all times." He raised a hand at her stuttered objections. "You now have an extraordinarily powerful object in your being, and I will not have you unprotected. Other demons will be able to detect it. You could be in danger."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the youkai for a moment but said nothing. Kagome merely looked stunned. "Danger? Me?"

Sesshoumaru didn't respond but turned to the figure still leaning against the window. "Inuyasha. You will watch Miss Higurashi. I want her under constant protection. You go to work with her, you escort her when she goes shopping, visiting, everywhere. You will be present in her living facilities as well."

"What?" Kagome lost it then, and stamped her foot to slow the proceedings that were speeding by much too quickly for her taste. "Oh no. I don't think so. I don't want him living with me! Or following me around all the time!"

"It won't be necessary that he live with you. He only needs to be nearby, so that he can sense any approaching youkai, or danger."

"This is ridiculous! I didn't ask to be a part of this!"

"Whether you asked for it or not, Miss Higurashi, you are involved. Deeply. No more arguments."

"Ugh…I swear you people are impossible. It makes me want to vomit."

"Not on my carpet."

She scowled at him, threw her hands up in frustration and stalked from the room angrily, followed by the two officers, the scientists, and Sesshoumaru's head of security.

Inuyasha shifted to leave as well but stopped in the doorway, turning back to Sesshoumaru in question. "Just what exactly are you hiding, anyway? Don't think I can't tell. She's in more danger than you're letting on."

Sesshoumaru pushed his chair smoothly back beneath the table before answering. "There is still more to the prophecy. It is better that she not know quite yet. 'But one will seek to control both brothers, ruling them both through their anger and fear for one another.'"

He nodded at the door through which Kagome and the rest had made their exit. "It doesn't specifically mention that she is in any danger, nor that the one seeking control will go after her. But, should this other figure know that she holds the jewel and its power, logically she will be the first target. This controller will want to dispose of competition. We have a fair idea of what this prophecy means, and we will explain everything to her further at a later date. For now, I believe she has enough to deal with as it is."

With that, he swept smoothly to the door and made his exit.

Inuyasha shook his head after him and followed suit.

**o0o**

Kagome was already out the front doors of the large office building and making her way determinedly down the street toward her home when Inuyasha came jogging up beside her.

"So, thanks for waiting."

She took note of the sarcasm and threw it back. "No problem. My pleasure, really."

He rolled his eyes and shoved his hands in his jean pockets. "Listen, I'm not any happier about this than you, but for once that ass of a half-brother is right. You need protection."

She actually forgot her anger for a moment in favor of curiousity. "Your half brother? Sesshoumaru?"

'_Aw, shit. Oh well. Suppose she would have found out sooner or later.'_

He shrugged at her and continued walking.

"Hmm…I mean, I guess it's obvious when you think about it. I mean, you look a bit alike, with your hair color and eye color and all. Although, his hair looks much smoother and nicer than yours."

He whirled on her. "What!" He opened his mouth to argue, realized how stupid it sounded to be arguing over who's hair was prettier, and closed it again, grumbling to himself. _'Stupid girl. Of course his hair is smoother…I swear he's the most feminine man I've ever met. Bet he conditions it twice a day and keeps a brush in his briefcase.'_

Kagome actually giggled at the blush stealing over his cheeks. "Ah, but your ears are much cuter."

"Feh." His blush grew in intensity, and he turned his face away from her.

"So, half brother, huh?"

"We both had the same father, if that's what you're wondering. His mother was a demon…mine was human. I'm a hanyou. Half youkai."

He said it with a small amount of bitterness, so she let it go.

He stopped along side her when they had reached their building. She frowned and looked over at him. "I don't suppose I can talk you out of this, can I?"

"Feh. Not likely. One, it's my job. Two, I'd be a real ass to let some wimpy girl like you walk around just asking to get kidnapped or killed by some power-crazed demon. And three, if you're really the one in the prophecy, then I've got some stock in what happens to you as well."

She had been ready to yell at him for his "wimpy girl" insult, but stopped at this. "Wait, what? What does the prophecy have to do with you?"

He looked at her for a moment before sighing. "I'll explain some about it later. For right now, I'm starving, so I'm going to go get something to eat."

Kagome squirmed a bit and shuffled her feet. "Well," she blushed, "You're welcome to come on up. I can make us something. Then…perhaps we could discuss this whole 'guarding' thing that you all insist is so necessary."

He nodded slowly thinking it over before finally shrugging in nonchalance. "Sure, why not?"

She smiled brightly up at him and he felt his stomach flop over. "Great! Follow me!"

He watched her skip up the stairwell to her house and let a small smile to his lips. _'Guess she's not so bad after all.'_

**o0o**

A/N: I've been really down lately. And…I've been checking for reviews every day in my mailbox, and…I think I got one. Or two. Thank you to those that reviewed, you really cheered me up. I appreciate it.

And, I'm not one of those people who obsess over reviews…but I could really use some encouragement right now. Just for a little bit. Things have been rocky for me for a while. Don't worry, though, I'll continue writing. It's my joy and release. It makes things better. My next update will be for Taking Over. And the next chapter for this will take Kagome back to work, will have some more about Miroku, Sango, and of course, Inuyasha and Kagome. (You do realize that if he has to guard her, he's going to have to come to work with her, right? Inuyasha and loads of little children….I can see it now!)

Hope you're all doing fantastic, know that I love you!


	5. The First Day

**Chapter Five**

**The First Day**

**o0o**

Kagome raised an eyebrow at the man across from her. "Well?"

"Well, what?"

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I swear, you have no manners."

"Oh…right. That was good. Thanks." He belched softly, and raised a hand to belatedly cover his mouth. "Oops. Sorry."

She shook her head before standing, grabbing the empty dishes sitting between them, and making her way back toward her kitchen.

When she returned she found that he was gone from the table, and flopped lazily across her couch. She sighed and moved into the living room and sat on the recliner across from him.

It was her favorite seat in the entire house. It didn't match the couch and loveseat, but she didn't care. The chair had been her father's. After he died, Kagome used to sneak downstairs during the night to curl up in it, just so she could smell his scent again. Usually, though, she would come down the stairs only to see her mother already curled there in her favorite old blanket, with tears slowly drying on her cheeks, or leaking from her closed eyelids. So, more often than not, she would climb up next to her mother and curl up beside her, wipe the tears from her sleeping face, and fall asleep next to her.

Now she tucked her feet beneath her, placed her hands in her lap, and looked inquiringly at the man who was staring determinedly at her ceiling.

"Well?"

She saw his chest rise as he sighed loudly. "Well, what?"

She glared at him. "You know exactly what! I'd like some answers, here!"

He looked at her finally, and she could tell that he had been trying to think of some way to delay this conversation. She shook her head and began what was bound to be a difficult and frustrating conversation. "Listen, if I'm going to be stuck with you all the time," she ignored his look of indignation, "Then I think it best we lay out some rules and boundaries."

He crossed his legs, propping them up on one arm of the couch, while his head rested on the other. Kagome glared at him.

"Rule number one: Keep your dirty shoes off my furniture!" He narrowed his eyes at her, but complied, sitting up and swinging his long legs around in front of him and onto the floor.

"Good. Rule number two: You don't interfere with my job."

He opened his mouth, but she plowed on. "Rule number three: You don't tell me what I can or can't do."

She could tell that he was about to interject angrily, so she hurried on. "Rule number four: You don't leave me in the dark about things. I want to know what's going on, if I'm going to be dragged into this whole mess."

He shot to his feet in an explosion of anger. "Do you think I like this any more than you do? Do you think I want to follow your sorry ass around all day? I don't! I'm not a damn babysitter!"

She shot to her feet angrily. "Rule number five: Don't yell at me!"

"Don't boss me around!" he yelled back.

She lifted her chin and glared up into his face. "Don't act like such an ass all the time!"

He leaned down and yelled in hers. "Don't act like such a bitch all the time!"

They were now nose to nose and fuming. Kagome saw anger spark in his eyes, and suddenly she became very aware of how close they were. She blushed fiercely as she swallowed, her voice lowering. "Don't…don't get so close."

He blinked at the nervous quaver in her voice and his eyes softened somewhat. It wasn't really her fault, after all, that they were caught in this mess. He cleared his throat, but didn't move otherwise, and when he spoke it was in a much softer tone. "You're just going to have to accept it, Miss Higurashi. I can't just let you walk around unprotected with that thing inside you. Whether you like it or not, we're going to be spending a lot of time together."

Her shoulders slumped suddenly and she pulled away. He stepped back as well and crossed his arms, watching for a reaction. She looked tired. Tired and afraid.

"It's that dangerous, huh?"

"Yeah…it is. Lots of demons are going to be after that jewel inside of you. They'll kill you to get it."

She swallowed loudly and sat abruptly in the recliner behind her. She didn't look up at him, but stared at her fingers as the pulled at the stitching in the blanket draped across the chair. He restrained himself from putting out his hand to make her stop fidgeting.

"I don't mean to scare you, but it's kinda necessary. You said you didn't want to be left in the dark…" he trailed off.

She nodded and looked up, giving him a watery smile. "I know, I just…I didn't want to accept it, I guess."

He grimaced and hoped with every ounce of his being that she wouldn't start crying, because she certainly looked like she would at any moment.

She did.

'_Aw, shit. Waterworks.'_

She dashed a hand over her eyes and continued to stare at her lap. "I-I'm s-sorry. I d-don't mean to c-cry." She took deep breaths to try and get control again.

Inuyasha looked around the room frantically for some sort of distraction, but no luck. His eyes did rest on a tissue box sitting on her end table, and he quickly grabbed it and thrust it beneath her nose, determinedly not looking at her.

She looked at the box shoved unceremoniously into her face before looking up at Inuyasha, who was red, and looking very uncomfortable. She gave a soft giggle and took a tissue. "Thanks," she mumbled.

She blew her nose, dried her eyes and cheeks and took a long breath, blowing it out slowly.

"Ok. I'm ok. I just…it's a little much to handle. In the past 24 hours I've witnessed a murder, been chased by a killer, found out that a race of mythical creatures are not really mythical at all, absorbed a jewel that could light up Tokyo, found out that I'm supposedly mentioned in some age-old prophecy, and that I could be attacked and killed at any moment for it."

Inuyasha grinned. "I suppose it is a bit much."

She returned a smile of her own. "But it's not your fault, and I'm sorry for giving you such a hard time about it. You're only trying to help." She stood and stretched out her hand to him.

He looked surprised and glanced from her outstretched hand to her face. Flustered, he clasped her hand in his and shook it. "Apology accepted, I guess."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "And…?"

He looked confused. "And…what?"

She scowled. "And…don't you want to apologize to me for anything?"

He scoffed. "Like what?"

She growled and shook her head. "I give up. Listen, it's been a long day. I'm taking a nap, and then I'm going to spend the rest of the evening trying to pretend my life is normal."

He almost smiled at that, but he stopped when he caught the wistful expression on her face. She seemed depressed, and her eyes looked…haunted.

He let it go. There was obviously a lot about this woman that he didn't know, and they were both too tired for him to explore the matter. He simply nodded. "Ok. So, you're not leaving the apartment tonight?"

"Pffft. Not if I can help it. I'm not leaving here until I go into work Monday morning. I'm spending all day tomorrow either sleeping, or relaxing in some way, shape, or form."

"Right, and what time do you go in on Monday?"

She tucked her feet beneath her again and leaned back in her recliner, watching him. "I go in at four."

His eyes widened. "In the morning?"

She nodded. "Yes, I have a parent who drops off her son and daughter very early, on her way to work. I need to leave by four, so I can be there early enough to be sure everything is straightened up and taken care of before I open at 4:30."

"How the hell can you stand to take care of kids at that hour?" He still looked shocked.

She grinned. "She usually carries them in asleep. Then I put them on mats where they can sleep until the other children get there. It's actually quite calming…I have some coffee and do some yoga and…relax."

He shook his head incredulously. "I'd be more relaxed if I just stayed in bed."

Her smile broadened. "Now you see why I was so mad you woke me up. Saturday is my only day to sleep in."

"And Sunday."

"Huh?" She looked confused for a moment.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "And you get to sleep in Sunday, right?"

"Oh! Oh…right. Right, Sunday!" She laughed and gestured her hand vaguely. "Silly me, yes of course Sunday."

His expression was dubious. She was acting strangely, but he let it go with a shake of his head, his long silvery hair swinging back and forth. "Right, well…I'll be across the street." He pulled a slip of paper out of his back pocket and held it out to her. She took it just before her turned away and headed for the door. He opened it and turned over his shoulder saying, "That's my cell number, and my apartment number. Call me if you decide you're leaving, or if you hear or see anything strange."

She nodded mutely, but he was already out the door.

**o0o**

Inuyasha sipped the can of soda in his hand, watching Kagome from his window. She was peering anxiously back and forth, her head poking out her doorway. Checking that the coast was clear, she pulled her hat further down over her face, locked her door, and scurried down the steps to the sidewalk below and headed down the street, in the opposite direction of the Taisho building, and her daycare.

'_Well, she's obviously not heading in to work.'_

He smirked as he watched her glance behind her and ahead of her, from side to side. She was checking to see if anyone was following her, and he could bet that it was him that she was looking for. She checked for oncoming traffic, crossed to his side of the street, and kept going straight, and right out of his sight. "I thought you weren't going anywhere today, Kagome," he mumbled to himself.

He sighed, crushed the empty can in his hand and walked to the other side of the rooftop. It was handy, really, living on the top floor of his building. He could get to the roof easily through a latched door leading from his bedroom ceiling, and he also had a second escape, should someone ever break in to his apartment. Not that he needed to escape, but it was still nice knowing it was there. He watched her walking below him and on past his building, still looking in every direction for a follower.

He smirked again and leapt to the neighboring building, following her. He kept up with her and watched her eventually walk into a fenced in area, through the large wrought-iron gate at the entrance. He frowned and leapt from the roof he was perched on to land gracefully on the sidewalk below. The street was vacant now, and he followed Kagome through the slightly open gate.

She wasn't hard to find. The aura that the jewel gave off was shockingly powerful. He knew he had felt waves of power emanating from her before, but that was nothing compared to what was coming off of her now. He was shocked, actually, that nothing had tracked her down yet. It was probably because she had remained in her apartment, and no one had taken real notice of it yet. His job would only get harder once she was out wandering around again. He frowned. _'Like she is now.'_

He watched her, keeping far enough away that she wouldn't be aware of his presence. It was a graveyard. There were small grave markers all about him.

Kagome knelt beneath a tree toward the back of the cemetery. He watched her pull three roses out of her pocket, and put one each on three of the graves before her. He crossed the graveyard, his shoes soundless on the mossy stone pathway.

She was kneeling in the damp grass, and above the smells of the city, and of the grass, and the damp moss, he could detect the scent of her tears.

She sniffled loudly, and let her fingers trail lovingly over one of the stones.

"Mama," she whispered. "I miss you so much."

She wiped her free hand over her eyes. "And…and I'm frightened. I wish you were here. You, Papa, and Souta. I could really use my family, right about now…I could really use some people I can trust."

Inuyasha looked over the three stones. The smaller one was obviously her younger brother's. 'Beloved son and brother,' it said. The larger ones held the names of each of her parents.

He noticed how new the ones for her mother and brother seemed to be, and checked the dates. It was just over a year ago.

He jumped slightly when she spoke again, more loudly this time. "They were killed in a car accident. It was a Sunday. I come every Sunday to…" She trailed off.

"My father died a long time ago…he was killed when I was little. Momma would never tell me how he died. I always wondered and now…I'll never know."

Inuyasha looked down to find her watching him. She sighed. "I'm sorry I tried to sneak out. I knew you'd probably know I left, but…"

"You could have told me. I would have understood."

She nodded and looked back at the graves in front of her, still kneeling on the ground. "I know. I just…" she trailed off vaguely, with a shake of her head. "I had a feeling you'd be watching me, but I just didn't want to bring it up. It's always something I've done alone."

"It's ok. I understand."

She sent him a grateful look, and he held out his hand to help her to her feet. She accepted, and when she was standing next to him, looking down at the graves, he cleared his throat.

"When you said you wished you had someone you could trust…" He shook his head and started again. "Well…I'm just saying…you can trust me," he finally finished.

**o0o**

"This is ridiculous."

"No it isn't."

"Are you masochistic?"

"No, I'm dedicated."

Inuyasha shoved his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket moodily. He tried to ignore the fact that it still smelled like the woman walking briskly beside him.

He glared at her. "I thought you hated mornings anyway."

She gave him a cheery smile that was indecently bright for someone up so early in the morning. "I do when I'm supposed to be sleeping in! But when I have a job to do, a job that I love to do, I'm more than happy to be up so I can enjoy it." She shrugged and took a sip from the lidded cup in her hand that she had picked up from a corner coffee house on their way down the block. "Besides…I've got my morning coffee. I'm officially ready to take on a new day!"

He looked at her and shook his head in disgust before turning his eyes back to the sidewalk in front of him. "So where is this place anyway?"

"Just one more block. Oh!" She turned to him excitedly and grabbed his sleeve with her free hand. "Can we make a tiny little detour? There's a little bakery behind my building. It's in the first floor of one those apartment buildings. Please, pleeeeaaasseee?"

He rolled his eyes. "Keh. Whatever."

She gave him another grin, and they turned right down the block before where her building would, and took another left so that they were directly behind where her building would be. Inuyasha stood outside holding her coffee for her until she came bounding out with a large, white paper sack in her hand. She took the coffee from him in her free hand, and turned to walk past the building.

"Wait, don't we need to go back the way we came?"

She looked over her shoulder at him but kept walking, calling out, "Nope! Follow me, I know a shortcut!"

He rolled his eyes and jogged to catch up with her. Two buildings past the bakery they came to a narrow and dark alleyway. The sun was not yet peeking over the horizon yet, as it was still only around 4:20 in the morning, so the sky was still dark. The alley, though, was even darker.

He narrowed his eyes at it. "Do you come this way every morning?"

She shook her head, standing just at the entrance. "Oh no, never. I wouldn't come by myself." She turned around and grinned at him again. "But you're with me. So what could happen?"

And with that she walked quickly between the buildings and slipped from sight.

Inuyasha stared after her only for a fraction of a second before hurrying to follow her. "Stupid girl. She should at least let me go in first."

He could see the dim outline of her before him, but could hear her so clearly that he could follow her movements better by sound, so light wasn't necessary to tell him that she was going fairly slowly. She seemed to be picking her way through the obstacles strewn about the alley.

Inuyasha knew what was happening before she had even realized she was falling. Her foot caught on the edge of an old crate, and she began to stumble forward. Inuyasha's arms, however, were there to catch her gently, and he wrapped one about her waist and pulled her over beside the obstacle. She looked up to see his golden eyes glinting in the darkness and his silvery hair seemed to glow. She cleared her throat. "Thank you," she said throatily.

He didn't answer, but merely nodded his head to indicate that she should proceed. They were almost out of the alley and she could see the street ahead on which her business resided.

Inuyasha cleared his throat as she made her way a bit more carefully toward the opening, and shook his head as he followed, unable to be rid of the tightening in his chest that he had felt when he had his arms wrapped about the young woman's waist.

**o0o**

Inuyasha nibbled his lower lip in concentration, his golden stare fixed on the structure in front of him.

"How is he doing that?" Sango turned to Kagome, finally taking her eyes off the hanyou seated cross-legged on the carpet across the room from them.

Kagome shifted Kohana on her waist and cocked her head thoughtfully. "I'm not really sure. Maybe he's just naturally good with children?" She snorted indelicately at the idea and shook her head. "Ok, unlikely. Maybe those four just have something in common, like…an aptitude for destruction."

Sango thought back on the morning. It hadn't started off well. When she had arrived, Kagome was already at the end of her patience, and Inuyasha was in a towering temper. Kagome introduced Sango to him in short, clipped tones, and quickly strode off to appease a child who was crying…crying because Inuyasha had apparently just scared him to death when he screamed at him for one cause or another.

When the tears were dry and the child was calmly playing with some toy trucks, Kagome stalked over, grabbed Inuyasha roughly by the arm, and pulled him into the small room she used as her office before slamming the door.

Sango watched over the children and sang a loud song with them, trying to cover up the raging argument that was issuing forth from behind the closed door.

When the two finally emerged, they were both tight-lipped and irritated, but from then on, Inuyasha had managed to keep his temper…barely.

Now, both women were shocked to find that, while most of the children in the daycare avoided the scary and loud stranger, the Triplets of Terror (as Kagome and Sango had dubbed them) seemed enraptured by him. The women had never seen the three boys behave so well.

Across the room, speaking in calm and quiet tones, the Triplets sat on their knees in a semi-circle in front of Inuyasha, who was still focused on what he was doing with full attention.

"It's not big enough." Ichiro cocked his head thoughtfully to one side, looking at the structure.

"Feh, of course it's big enough." Inuyasha didn't remove his eyes from what he was doing.

"What's it supposed to be anyway?" Kenjiro eyed it speculatively.

"Feh, what's it look like? It's a fighting ring."

Renzo wiped his nose noisily on his sleeve with a loud _sniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiff_. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" He placed a final block on the top and sat back, eyeing his masterpiece with satisfaction.

After nodding his approval at his work, he gazed at the three young faces around him. "And now, for the most important part. Demolition."

Kagome and Sango both jumped at the sudden outburst of yelling and the sound of clattering blocks. The both looked over to find Inuyasha and all three of the Triplets swiping at the large block structure with abandon, yelling as they destroyed the building.

Sango ducked as a block flew over her head. She nodded. "I think you're right. Those four were made for each other."

**o0o**

The day passed uneventfully from then on. Sticking to the usual Monday routine, Kagome and Sango settled them all down for a movie after lunch, followed by a nap. Generally, half the children were asleep by the end of the movie anyway, so it all worked out nicely. Inuyasha was even quiet, and divided his interest between the movie, and the window, which he frequently stared out.

By early evening, he was focused on the door, through which parents had begun to arrive. Most of them accepted Kagome's explanation, that Inuyasha was a new employee, without question. When Miroku arrived to pick up Yukio, however, he took one look at Inuyasha and turned to Kagome saying, "So what's the hanyou doing here?"

Inuyasha growled and flexed his clawed fingers at his sides, Sango gave them all a puzzled look, and Kagome looked alarmed. She looked from one to the other, before sweeping them all into the back room momentarily, leaving the door beside her open so that she could keep an eye on the room of children yet to be picked up.

"How on earth did you know that?" she questioned Miroku with wide eyes.

Sango still looked confused. "A hanyou?"

Miroku shrugged. "I could always tell youkai apart from humans."

"Wait, Inuyasha's part youkai?" Sango gazed at him in fascination.

Inuyasha glared at Miroku and Kagome simply looked amazed. "You knew all this time that there were still youkai?"

Miroku smiled a dazzling smile. "Dear Kagome, I know many, many things. If either of you lovely ladies went out with me more often, I could share them with you!"

Inuyasha raised a hand threateningly, but Kagome swatted it down impatiently. "Knock it off, both of you."

Sango was still gazing at Inuyasha in fascination. He rolled his eyes at her and crossed his arms impatiently.

Miroku turned to Kagome again. "You still didn't explain what he's doing here."

Kagome bit her lip. "He's…um…"

"I'm working here, dumbass. What else would I be doing here?"

Miroku gave them a half-grin. "Yeah, right. If you're the type to work with children, I'll eat my left shoe."

Inuyasha cocked an eyebrow. "Want some salt on that?"

Kagome rolled her eyes in exasperation and Sango reached a hand up to Inuyasha's head. He swatted it away. She frowned. "Sorry, just thought I saw something."

"You did." Miroku grinned at her. "Those are his cute little puppy ears. They're masked by some concealment charm, but I'm betting that once you know that he's part youkai, the charms aren't effective anymore."

Inuyasha growled again at the mention of "cute little puppy ears" and swiped Sango's hand away once more. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth shaped into a round "oooh" of understanding. "I see them now! Oh, how cute!"

Kagome rubbed two fingers at her temples. "Ok, listen. No one else can know about this, ok? I trust you both. I'll explain some more later, but for right now you're just going to have to trust me when I say that there's a good reason for Inuyasha being here, ok?"

Miroku nodded simply. "Of course we can trust you. And you can trust us. I assure you, I'll tell no one that Inuyasha's a hanyou…on one condition."

Kagome glared at him, but he simply turned and smiled at Sango, still speaking to Kagome. "If you can convince Sango to go on a date with me, my lips are sealed." He made dreamy eyes at the woman next to him and she stepped away in alarm, glaring at him mistrustfully.

Kagome groaned. "Miroku, that's so not fair."

Miroku kept making eyes at Sango and didn't respond. Kagome glanced timidly at the other woman. "Please Sango? For me?"

She looked from Kagome to Miroku and back again. "Kagome…I can't. Not by myself." Her eyes lit with an idea and a devilish grin surfaced. "Hmmm…I'll go on a date with him on one condition…"

Kagome winced.

"Only if it's a double date, Kagome. You and someone else. You and another man. I don't care who, but you have to go on a date too. That way, you're forced to get out and see someone, and I'm not stuck being alone with Mr. Grabby Hands over here." She smacked Miroku's hand away from her rear end.

Kagome's shoulders slumped in defeat and she covered her eyes tiredly with one hand. "Alright, alright, fine."

Miroku grinned more widely. "Yes! How is Wednesday night for you two ladies?"

They both mumbled their agreement and filed out of the back room.

Miroku picked up a sleepy-looking Yukio and cradled the child so that his head was resting on Miroku's shoulder. He grinned over the boy's dark brown tousled hair, and retreated from the building.

Inuyasha scowled after him. "How did an idiot like that ever manage to get hold of a kid anyway? It's not his, is it?"

Kagome picked up the still-sleeping form of Cho, and carried her over to the door just as her parents were entering to pick her up. When they had gone, she turned back to him and gave him a sad smile. "Yukio is Miroku's little brother. He was born when Miroku was already eighteen. Their father died of a heart attack during the pregnancy, and their mother died giving birth to Yukio. He's been taking care of him since he was born."

"By himself? He's been raising that kid all by himself?"

She nodded, before walking over to retrieve one of the other children for a woman that had just entered.

He shrugged and looked over to Sango, who was standing nearby listening to the conversation in silence. "Well, if he's doing it all on his own, he can't be that bad, can he? I mean…I can barely stand to be around these runts for a day."

Sango didn't say anything, but stared thoughtfully into space, clearly lost in thought.

**o0o**

"Thanks for getting someone to look at my car."

Inuyasha blushed slightly, but shrugged it off. "I know some people. They said they'd pick it up from your daycare tomorrow morning and they'd have it finished as soon as possible."

She smiled at his nonchalant behavior. "That was very thoughtful of you."

He reddened again and turned away. Kagome's grin widened. "Well…things went smoothly today, I thought. The Triplets seemed to like you. I've never seen them cause so little trouble before."

He didn't respond to this, but simply kept walking. It was growing darker outside, but it was not yet quite as dark as it had been when they left that morning. When they finally reached her apartment, she glanced up at him quickly, swallowed once and opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it.

"Well, you're home. See you in the morning, I guess," he said gruffly, and he turned quickly on his heel to walk across the street to his apartment. Kagome looked quickly from her own empty apartment windows above her, to Inuyasha's retreating form.

"Wait!"

He turned around in surprise, eyebrows raised.

She blushed slightly and twisted her fingers together. "Well…I mean…it's been a long day, would you…would you like to come in for dinner?" she finally managed to splutter.

He blinked at her from his spot in the middle of the street. A car horn blared, and he jumped, startled, and made his way quickly back toward her. "Um…sure."

She smiled up at him brightly. "Come on in, then. We can order in. I'm too tired to cook."

He gave her a tentative grin in return, and followed her up the stairs.

**o0o**

A/N:

Ok, there it is. Ahhh, finally updated! Wooo! I'm anxious to write the next chapter because more action will be there, I hope!

And of course, I can't wait until the double date.

I wonder who Kagome will find to take her…Hmmmm…..

Oh, and does that answer the question? Miroku does not have a son. It's his baby bro.

Alright, time to update Taking Over…which will have more fluff, as promised.


	6. It Begins

**Chapter Six**

**It Begins**

**o0o**

Kagome hung up her phone and reached for another slice of pizza. "Darn."

Inuyasha raised a questioning brow and took another bite of his breadstick.

She frowned before biting into her slice and chewing thoughtfully. "That was my last option! He's going to be away at some conference. I don't know who else I can trust. I'm certainly not going to call someone who might actually be interested."

Inuyasha sipped his drink as he lounged across her sofa, his feet on the arm of one end. Kagome glared pointedly at the offending shoes on her furniture and he rolled his eyes, but promptly removed them. "Why not?"

She swallowed her mouthful of food before replying. "Because I don't _want_ to be in a relationship. I don't _want_ to go on an actual date. I just want it to _look_ like an actual date, to appease Sango."

Inuyasha made no reply to this, but merely shook his head at women and his lack of understanding of them.

Kagome chewed her food thoughtfully for a while. "There was that detective…the one who was in the board room with us, working with the grouchy lady? He was really sweet. Shippou, remember? I mean, maybe if I just explained to him the situation beforehand, he would…"

She trailed off when Inuyasha suddenly shot upright from his lounging position on her couch and leapt to his feet.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

He was tense and alert, completely still but for his ears, twitching atop his silvery head.

"Wha…"

"Shhh." He waved an impatient hand at her and Kagome shut her mouth abruptly, looking around warily.

"Are there any other windows in this place besides the ones in this room?" he asked in an undertone.

She looked confused. "Yes…there are two in my bedroom, why?"

He shook his head in silence. He was thinking fast, that much was obvious. Kagome could tell by the way his golden eyes darted about the apartment, from the front door, to the phone, to the hallway leading back to her bedroom and bathroom.

Kagome was about to open her mouth again when Inuyasha reached toward her suddenly and grabbed her arm. He pulled her off of her chair and behind him, next to the sofa, keeping one arm in front of her in a protective stance. He was still staring down the darkened hallway when he spoke quietly. "Don't move from here. Stay in this room no matter what you hear."

"I don't understand…"

He cut her off firmly, but quietly. "Someone's here."

Kagome watched him flex his long fingers and move toward the hallway. He disappeared into the darkened doorway of her bedroom, and Kagome stood still in silence.

A loud crash and the sound of breaking glass erupted suddenly from the far corner of her small apartment, and Kagome took a step instinctively toward the noise. She stopped, though, remembering what Inuyasha had told her.

'_He can handle it. He knows what he's doing. He said you could trust him so…do it.'_

She swallowed nervously and listened to the frantic shuffling coming from her bedroom.

'_Trust him…trust him…trust him…'_

**o0o**

Inuyasha strained to hold the lizard youkai against the wall of Kagome's bedroom. It had been difficult fighting in such a small enclosed area, but he was actually proud of the minimal damage he had caused. The window was broken, of course, from where the youkai made his entrance. Her dresser had been tipped over, but not broken, and one of her closet doors was hanging haphazardly on its only remaining hinge. A few pictures had been knocked over, but…overall the room was fixable.

He shoved the thin youkai against the wall again and brought one clawed hand up below the rapidly beating pulse in his sweaty throat. "Who are you?"

The youkai flashed his yellowing teeth in a cocky grin. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Inuyasha growled and pressed his claws a little harder against his throat. "No. What I really want to know is who you work for."

The youkai frowned at him in mock confusion. "What makes you think I work for anyone?"

Inuyasha scoffed. "Feh. You're too stupid and scrawny to have tracked it down already on your own. Someone else knows about it. I'm guessing it was the same someone who tried to have it stolen from one our scientists."

The lizard youkai laughed bitterly. "Yes, the same scientist who was stealing it to begin with. Loyal workers, you have there, Taisho."

Inuyasha growled again loudly and slammed the youkai's body against the wall in frustration. "Just what are you getting at?"

"You and your arrogant brother! You hold the jewel, you hold the power…you think you can rule everyone? We don't want to be in hiding anymore! We're youkai! We should be ruling these pathetic humans, not trying to live like them, hiding from them!"

Inuyasha pressed his claws more deeply at his throat, drawing blood. "Who are you working for, damn it?"

"Youkai…proud youkai who no longer wish to hide what we really are. Don't think we don't know about the prophecy, Taisho. We do. That girl in there holds the power, and we intend to get it." The lizard made a lunge for freedom, but Inuyasha swiped his claws, and the creature disappeared in a sudden explosion of dust and vapor.

"Damn." He wiped his claws on his jeans and took another look around the room before making his way swiftly out the door.

**o0o**

She was still standing where he left her, worry and apprehension frozen on her features. When she saw him coming down the hallway a look of deep relief swept across her face and her shoulders released their tension.

"You're ok, thank goodness," she breathed, before making her way quickly toward him.

Inuyasha stopped in his tracks as she reached out and began searching his features, moving aside his jacket to check his chest, lifting his hands and gasping at the blood there.

He cleared his throat and blushed slightly. "Um…what are you doing?"

She moved around behind him, brushing his hair away from his back. "Checking for injuries, what does it look like?" She moved back in front of him and reached a hand up to his cheek. "You're injured!"

He looked confused for a moment and looked down quickly over his body before looking back up at her. "What? I don't see any…"

"Your face! You have a scrape across your cheek, see?"

He put a hand to his face and dropped it, looking at her in disbelief. "Um…it's just a cut. I'm fine."

She looked confused for a moment and kept her hand up at the scratch on his cheek, nodding her head silently. Inuyasha watched in growing incredulity as she continued to bob her head up and down, silent and dazed. She looked almost as if she were trying to convince herself that he was, in fact, unharmed.

Her eyes were filling quickly with tears, and her face began to crumple.

'_Shit, shit, shit…'_

She bit her lip and kept nodding her head, a weak and watery smile gracing her trembling lips. "I know…I know. It's just…you're ok. And, I was afraid you wouldn't be…because no one ever is… but you are…" She bit her lip again and blinked quickly.

'_Damn, damn, damn…'_

She flung herself forward abruptly and wrapped her arms around his torso. Inuyasha looked at her in horror for a moment before sighing in resignation and wrapping his arms clumsily around her. It was obvious that she had been worried, and the attack on her apartment had been sudden. She had probably never experienced animosity that was directed at her.

He mumbled embarrassedly while patting her back, "It's alright…you're fine. Your bedroom is just a little messed up, but you're ok."

She breathed in loudly against his chest and leaned back slightly to look up at him. Her cheeks were covered in tears and her lip was trembling, and she was, overall, a mess. "Me? My room? You really think I was worried about that?"

He looked down at her in slight confusion. "Well…yeah. Isn't that what you're all upset and crying about? I mean…some guy breaks into your apartment and is trying to get to you…isn't that what you're all freaked about?"

She hit a small hand against his chest. "No, stupid! I was worried about you!"

They both looked down at her hand, resting against his solid chest before stepping quickly away from each other, flushed and embarrassed.

Inuyasha was staring determinedly at the ceiling when Kagome finally broke the silence. "I mean…I just…I knew you would protect me, that's all."

She sniffed loudly and dashed her hands over her eyes. "You promised you would. And…I trust you. I just worried that you would get hurt in the process."

He looked amazed at this revelation. "Oh…well…I'm fine."

She gave him a watery grin. "I'm glad."

They both stood in an awkward silence, Inuyasha unconsciously rubbing his hands against his jeans, and Kagome wiping at her eyes. She cleared her throat, finally. "Um…the bathroom is just over there, if you would like to wash your hands."

He grimaced at the blood on his claws. "Yeah, thanks."

When he had locked himself into the little bathroom, he leaned back against the door in relief. _'Damn, it's more difficult dealing with a crying woman than it is fighting youkai.'_

He took a moment to calm down before washing his hands in her small porcelain sink, drying them on her lavender hand towel hanging next to the door, and stepping back toward the living room.

When he walked in this time, she was sitting once again in her favorite chair, a tissue in hand, and her tears under control. He sat back on the couch and tried to pretend that nothing had just happened.

No such luck.

"I'm sorry."

He looked up at her, but she was staring at the tissue she was holding in her lap.

She took a deep breath and continued. "I won't cry like this every time. I promise. It just all sorta came into focus for me…I really am in trouble. But…I sorta knew that already. It's just…I didn't think about the others that might be hurt because of me. And it didn't occur to me before that you would be in danger protecting me. I didn't grasp the fact that people would kill to get to this stupid jewel thing, and that they might actually kill you to get it. All because of me. And…I'm sorry."

He didn't know what to say, so he sat staring at her for a moment. He finally cleared his throat. "It's not your fault, you know. I mean…they're after the jewel, and if anyone is hurt because of it, it's not because of you. It's because of the jewel. The power. It's never your fault."

She nodded and wiped her nose again on the crumpled tissue in her hand. She glanced up at him nervously and sniffed. "I won't cry any more. I can handle it. It was just a shock. But…I'm ready now." She gave a soft, watery laugh. "I'm tougher than I look."

He gave her a half grin. "Let's hope so."

"Hey!" She grabbed the small throw pillow resting on the chair with her and threw it at his head. "I resent that!"

Inuyasha ducked his head and chuckled before they both grew quiet again.

He cleared his throat softly.

"There will be more."

"I know."

"They'll be stronger."

"I know."

"I won't let them get to you."

"…I know."

**o0o**

"So…?"

Kagome narrowed her eyes at her friend's grin. "So, what?"

"So, have you found anyone to go on that double date with you yet?"

Kagome grimaced and Sango sighed in exasperation. "Kagome, you promised!"

"I know! I know…I'm…looking."

Sango glared at her while grabbing the collar of one of the boys trying to run away, and setting him back at the table to finish his lunch. "It's tomorrow night, Kagome."

Kagome nodded tiredly. "I know."

"You gave me your word, Kagome."

"I know!"

Sango sighed and shook her head, her high ponytail swinging back and forth. She turned to go and get more napkins for the children when she froze, her eyes on the window. Or rather, on the man standing next to the window. "Kagome…"

Kagome turned and followed her friend's gaze. She looked back and forth between Sango and the object of her gaze a few times in confusion before her eyes widened in realization. "No…oh no. No, no, no. Don't even think about it."

"Come on, Kagome! It makes perfect sense!"

"How on earth does that make sense?"

"He's here…he's available, right?"

Kagome grimaced. "If you mean single, yeah…I'm pretty sure he is."

Of course this was a lie, because Kagome was not only "pretty sure," she was absolutely positive. She had pried him for information about himself for the past two nights and managed to finally get him to answer questions on his personal life only if she promised to shut up and let him watch the television for at least half an hour in peace.

"And he's with you pretty much all the time anyway, right?"

Kagome silently wished she hadn't told Sango that. Her friend had desperately wanted more information on the hanyou now working with them, and Kagome felt she owed it to Sango to explain some. Not all, but some. She told her that she had witnessed a murder, which was true, and that Inuyasha was there to protect her from those that might be after her to keep her quiet about what she saw.

'_Well…at least part of it was true.'_

She closed her eyes in frustration. _'She's right…you know she's right. He knows the situation, anyway. He knows I don't want a relationship. He knows I don't want to go out on a date. So…maybe he'll understand. Sure. We'll be like two mature adults making an agreement. He agrees to appear as my date, I agree to…well, it's an agreement anyway.'_

Sango saw her friend's shoulders slump in defeat and clapped her hands together. "Great! So…go ask him."

Kagome looked up sharply at that and, without missing a beat, caught the spoon that was hurtling through the air and at her forehead, and placed it back on the table, never removing her incredulous stare from Sango. "What, now? Are you crazy?"

"Yes, now. No, not crazy. So…go."

"Why now?"

"Because you'll never do it unless I make you. So, go. Now." She shooed her away with the free hand not catching the cup of milk that was just about to be knocked over by a small elbow. "Go on. I'm watching the kids. They're just eating lunch. Go!"

Kagome shot her one last glare and fervently wished she worked alone before making her way across the room to the window where Inuyasha was staring moodily out at the street outside. Kagome had forbidden him to help with lunch time, due to the fact that yesterday he had nearly caused an all-out food war.

He glanced at her apprehensively as she approached. It was obvious that he suspected something.

She grinned brightly. Too brightly. "Hello, Inuyasha! Nice day, isn't it?"

"It's raining."

She giggled in embarrassment. "Oh yeah! Forgot!"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you supposed to come and ask me?"

She tried to look innocent. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He continued to glare suspiciously. "I'm hanyou. I can hear well. Very well. I could hear better if those damn kids weren't so loud. Now what were you two jabbering about? What do you want?"

She looked over her shoulder and glared at Sango once more before turning back to him. "Um…you see…you know how Sango kinda forced me into a double date with her and Miroku?"

He shrank back slightly as dawning apprehension stole over his features. "Aw, shit."

She clasped her hands in front of her and pleaded with him. "Please, Inuyasha? I mean…you know I asked everyone I know! I don't want a relationship right now, but I promised to get a date for tomorrow…please? Do this for me?"

His cheeks were pink and he looked indignant. "Why should I do it for you?"

"Because…because…because you have to be with me anyway? I mean…if I go out, you're going to have to be somewhere near anyway, right? And…and…I'll buy dinner!"

He thought it over for a moment before sighing loudly and turning back to the window. "Shit."

Kagome smiled. "Does that mean you'll go?"

"Damn it."

"Yay!" She clapped her hands. "Thank you so much, Inuyasha. You won't regret it."

"Somehow I doubt that."

"It'll be fun! You'll see."

He grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "Fun, my ass…" but since he was doing her such a huge favor, she let it slide and walked happily back over to where Sango was dismissing the children from the table.

Sango looked over, caught one glimpse of Inuyasha's stormy expression, and grinned at Kagome. "Great! You got him to come!"

**o0o**

**YAY! **I updated! Huzzah!

This is too fun. Hope you are enjoying, please review! I feel the love!


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